Hey everbody^^
long time no see. I hope you're having a great summer/winter season, mine was great and busy (so luckily no summer slump^^')
From now on I will be back to more regular updates (probably not weekly, but who knows ;-)), so I hope you will enjoy some reading material.
Have a great day!
Showing his best side
-Zoro-
With a soft groan, he lowered the weights and straightened up. He was surprised seeing the sun already rising. He could have sworn that he had hardly trained for more than an hour or two.
He rubbed his neck and looked down at the ship. Outside at the wheel, the Cook was just receiving the newspaper. It had to be much later than Zoro had expected, when even the newspaper had already arrived.
He observed the Cook for a moment, then turned around, shaking his head. He shouldn't worry so much, he should leave that to those who enjoyed doing it.
But he couldn't completely switch off his head while he decided to continue training. He didn't like what had happened a few days ago, even though he realized it had been necessary to free Luffy and Chopper unnoticed.
It was strange, Zoro had never been a big fan of his other body, but most of the time he hadn't really thought much about it – unless someone wanted to drag him to some events in some dress or when he got his time of the month, both really annoying things to happen – on Kuraigana he had often even forgotten which body he had been in, far too often, thinking about it.
Yes, this other body was annoying, but he had never really struggled with it much, because he couldn't have changed it anyway. This body had only disturbed him when he had been treated so strangely, so differently. But since Mihawk could always be terribly annoying, no matter what body Zoro was in, he had probably never noticed it with him. And even Kanan, Jiroushin, or Perona had gotten used to it after a while, although Jiroushin had struggled from time to time.
So why did this body bother him so much now?
He knew the answer, surprisingly. However, one didn't have to be a genius to get it. It had something to do with the others. Because the longer Zoro thought about it, the more certain he was that he had only developed this extreme aversion to that body since he had reunited with the others.
The fear, the insecurity, the shame that they would find out he was Lady Loreen.
He paused in his push-ups, arms bent, staring at the floor as if it were a mirror.
But why hadn't that feeling vanished when he had told them the truth? Why did it still bother him when they saw him in this form?
On Kuraigana, it had never bothered him if anyone had seen him as Loreen – even though he preferred his body, of course – and it had never really bothered him when Mihawk was present while he transformed.
But with the crew it was different, and he didn't know why.
In the past, it had taken him far too much mental effort to transform, not so much in front of Chopper, but back then to free the Cook and himself from this cell. He didn't like to think back to this conversation either. This despair and disbelief in the Cook's gaze when Zoro had confessed the truth to him. He had looked like a kicked puppy. Zoro didn't like it when the Cook seemed so wistful, weak - except when he made a fool of himself. But during this escape, if anything, only Zoro had made a fool of himself.
He never really had a problem with someone touching him but being carried by the Cook – being carried by him in that body – had been uncomfortable. Not being able to transform back had been uncomfortable.
Considerate as the damn potato peeler was, he hadn't even mentioned that escape anymore – at least not to Zoro – and Zoro had decided to forget about it.
But by now he was conspicuously aware of it. Although the others knew the truth, although Zoro still had to transform, he avoided them in that body, with Chopper as an involuntary exception.
He had never really thought about it, but after this last act he had become aware of it. Usopp's glancing, Nami's remarks, Franky's red cheeks, they had all shown it to him. Apparently, he had never shown himself in this form before them.
That wasn't really surprising. He knew his limits well until he had to transform – usually eight to ten days before it got really uncomfortable – and since he played it safe, he turned into training every second or third night while taking over the night watch. Of course, it would be unusual for him to run into someone else. Therefore, he had never really noticed. It had simply become part of his routine so that he became stronger in this body as well.
But of course he also trained during the day and while he had done this on Kuraigana in his other body, for times mainly in his other body, he never did it here. He never walked around in that body during the day. As if it were uncomfortable for him to be in that... No, as if it were uncomfortable for him if the others saw him in that body. Because on Kuraigana it had been no problem for him to be seen by Perona, Jiroushin, or anyone else in that other body, so it had to be because of the others, right?
"Urgh!"
He slammed his head on the ground between his hands, forehead forward. He didn't want to think about this crap.
It didn't matter!
He didn't hurt anyone with his behavior. The others knew the truth, Zoro did not hide anything, he did not neglect his training, and everyone was happy. So why was he racking his brains about something so nonsensical?
He also knew this answer – damn, his head was really fast today, and that was really annoying – because it was obvious.
The ball.
Zoro hated balls. He had now decided that once and for all. Nothing good could come out of these events, except headaches, broken clothes, and strange emotions that he could not understand.
He was still angry with himself that it had been such a problem for him to accept Nami's plan, but even more annoyed with this plan itself. However, he had to confess that... it had been okay, with Nami and Robin. He had been ordered to just stand in the room like an idiot and let them do whatever they had to – he had even slept while Nami had slapped the make-up onto his face – and not once had they asked him which color he liked better, which dress he thought was prettier. Nami had just held out some clothes to him and he had put them on as usual, and that had been it - although she usually just threw the things at him, and he usually didn't need any help getting dressed. Of course, it had been annoying, like dressing up always was, but somehow it had been like with Chopper, like with Mihawk.
This however wasn't true for everyone in the crew. Jinbei and Brook weren't the problem, Luffy had never been, but Franky and Usopp and of course the Cook. And Zoro. He himself was the problem, he knew that.
But maybe he knew the answer to that as well. The answer had been the moment at the ball when the Cook had knelt on the floor, Zoro had stood in front of him, his dress half torn as planned by Nami, his upper body half naked. The way Sanji had stared at him when he had understood what had been going on, from confusion to surprise, to panic and then open indignation and also true anger.
Rubbing his nose, Zoro decided to continue.
Still, that moment hadn't made up for the fact that he'd had to walk around in heels all evening. Not for the Mayor apologizing to him a thousand times, or for countless strangers daring to interfere. Especially not for the aftermath, when he had rushed back to the ship next to Nami – without shoes, of course – and Franky had simply grabbed him and carried him on board like a child, against his protests, where the others had celebrated the successful plan.
Franky had apologized afterwards, and it wasn't like the cyborg had never done anything like that before, but Zoro had just been in a bad mood. Even the return of Luffy and Chopper had done little to change that, after all, they had been to blame for the whole disaster. But since Nami and Usopp had already taken over the scolding, Zoro had even ended up being the one who had finished the lecturing with an annoyed comment before he had finally been able to transform and change clothes in the men's cabin.
While he had gotten dressed, Luffy had come in and Zoro hadn't cared – of course he hadn't cared – but he wondered by now if he also hadn't given it a second thought if someone else had come in just three minutes earlier. A few days ago, he would not have questioned that, but now he knew that he would have been uncomfortable, at least subconsciously.
He still didn't know why exactly, but with a snort he decided it didn't matter. He was tired of pondering, and he had already come to a conclusion. He knew that his dislike of this body had increased since his return to the crew, although they didn't really behave any differently, maybe a little. So it was up to him and that meant he could just put those thoughts aside and he would, somehow.
With renewed enthusiasm he pushed himself up and down again, satisfied with his effort, both mentally and the training of the previous night. Maybe he should train the next one again in his other body, just to make sure the gap didn't get even bigger.
"Hey, Zoro. Breakfast is ready."
He looked up in surprise. Franky was standing at the entrance, he hadn't noticed him, hadn't even noticed that he had been training for so long. Normally he would get some rest before breakfast, but well, he could do that afterwards.
He nodded briefly to Franky and then followed him.
"By the way," Franky murmured and stopped on deck, rubbing the back of his head obviously in embarrassment, "wanted to apologize again for the day before yesterday. I know it wasn't really great, but I was just so full of adrenaline..."
Oh, Zoro knew this handwriting, once again Robin seemed to be at work, and apparently not only he was brooding, so much unnecessary brooding.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Zoro grumbled, shrugging his shoulders before moving on. "You already apologized. So, everything's fine."
"You're... sure?" asked Franky doubtfully, but Zoro just nodded. They all wanted it to work, for everything to go back to normal – as normal as it could be in this crew – so it would, with some time.
"Okay," Franky laughed and slapped Zoro's back as they trudged up the stairs. "But still, if something should happen that is not okay, you call me out, okay? Call me out when I act stupid, and I call you out when you get all snappish on us. Deal?"
Yes, they were all still brooding unnecessarily, but that's exactly why things would soon get better.
Zoro nodded. "Deal." Maybe he didn't even have to find out what it was, why it was so difficult for him, because maybe soon it would just not be difficult for him anymore.
"Great," Franky grinned and one after the other they entered the galley, where breakfast was already underway.
With a soft grunt, Zoro settled between Usopp and Brook and quickly forgot the brooding of the last few hours as his stomach rejoiced over a good breakfast. Could it be that he had forgotten dinner?
His glance briefly fell on the Cook who was working in the kitchen part, a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, but Zoro ignored it, none of his business.
What concerned him was the newspaper, which was nowhere to be seen, but before he could ask, the transponder snail next to the sofa suddenly started ringing. The conversations died out and they all looked at each other attentively. It was rarely a good sign when it called.
Nami, who was sitting closest to the snail, got up and answered.
"Yes, hello?" she asked, obviously suspicious.
"Good morning, Mrs. Navigator."
"He... hello Mihawk," Nami replied perplexed before she glanced over to Zoro, but he had no idea what that was all about either. The last time he had spoken to Mihawk had been a few days ago. "Would you... do you want to speak Zoro?"
"No, you are indeed the person I wanted to reach out to – Roronoa would be of no help in this regard – I heard that you have left the island Mirabella behind? May I ask in which direction you are heading?"
Now they all exchanged skeptical looks before Nami briefly examined her log pose and then replied: "We follow the needle pointing north-west, but why would you want to...?"
But Zoro remained suspicious, he couldn't say exactly what it was, but the other sounded friendly, and that couldn't mean anything good.
"Thank you very much for this information, and would you please be kind enough to tell Chef to enjoy his last days. It will take me about two weeks, and I intend to execute him outright upon my arrival."
Ah, he had already expected it.
"What?!" Nami gasped for air, along with some others, stunned.
"Mihawk!" groaned Zoro, exasperated, while the Cook whimpered softly, like that one time Robin had told him that his outfit looked ridiculous. "We talked about this, no killing of crewmembers."
"Why was that even a subject?" Usopp exclaimed, staring at Zoro in panic. "You shouldn't even have to talk about something like that!"
"I remember very well, Roronoa," came it from the snail, "but since recent events I see no other option, even if it may provoke your wrath. I will not forgive the Chef for tarnishing your honor. It was once too..."
"I didn't do anything!" the Cook complained loudly from his kitchen niche, quite whiny. "It's not my fault!"
"I do not care. Whatever excuses you have, save them for your God. He may show mercy upon you, but I certainly won't."
Oh great, Mihawk was in his theatrical mood, then he was always the most annoying. Even worse, the Cook whimpered in his corner, like Usopp used to do, whenever they had reached an unknown island. Normally, he was only too willing to argue with Mihawk.
"Well, before you take such drastic measures, could we at least know what it's all about?" asked Robin with her usual smile, which made it all too clear to Zoro that she probably knew it anyway.
"Just say you have not read the newspaper yet?" Mihawk sounded almost surprised. "Although this embarrassment actually deserves to be burned unseen."
"No," Nami and Zoro said at the same time, and they both looked at the Cook, who was cowering like a pile of misery in his corner, chewing on his cigarette butt.
"This is all your fault!" he said looking at all of them, and then hesitantly pulled the newspaper out from under his cutting board, handing it to Nami, "just because of this stupid plan," he sniffled.
"Oh," came it from Nami.
"What's it about?" grumbled Franky, leaning to the side to catch a glimpse. His eyes got bigger and bigger, and his facial expressions cramped more and more.
"Frank... y?" murmured Usopp.
"A disaster, isn't it?" The transponder snail sighed dramatically. "There can be no other punishment for that."
"Oh dear," Nami whispered, while the Cook in the background whimpered miserably.
"So what is it?" Annoyed, Zoro rose and was about to reach across the table for the newspaper, when Franky suddenly slammed both hands on the table and then threw himself back laughing.
"Buhahaha! What a story! Hahaha, they got you quite a bit, Sanji. God, hahaha, I do feel sorry for ya."
"It really wasn't planned that way," Nami murmured, "didn't think we would make it into the newspaper."
"You feel sorry for the Chef?! Cutty Fram, the one whose dignity was sullied – by none other than the Chef – was, after all, Roronoa, so..."
"Can I finally have the newspaper?" growled Zoro. "If my dignity is at stake, I should at least know what it's all about." Although he had a dark premonition.
Nami briefly met Zoro's hard gaze, while the transponder snail snorted and the Cook sank even deeper behind the counter, then she laid the newspaper open on the table.
"Oh."
"Wow!"
"Whew! Harsh words!"
"There were journalists?"
"Zo... Zoro?"
He ignored the others and stared at the cover.
First appearance in public a disaster – Lady Loreen humiliated by pirates
Sexual predator tears dress at gala! – Lady Loreen, defenseless without Hawk Eyes?!
He looked down at the caption.
Straw Hat pirate Vinsmoke Sanji exposes Lady Loreen in her first public appearance after her broken off engagement to the former Shichibukai Mihawk Hawk Eyes.
"One would think that the newspaper would leave the lurid speculations to the gossip magazines," Jinbei noted.
He heard the others talking to each other, but his eyes were fixed on the huge picture that made up more than half of the front page. The right half of the picture showed him, his alter ego, his back turned to the camera, the torn dress hanging down, obviously showing that his upper body was half-naked, even if the angle of the camera of course showed nothing, just merely enough. In the lower right corner was a blurred shadow, which was probably Nami, who had come storming in with the coat, but Zoro looked at the left half of the photo.
There, on the floor, between glittering stones, broken glass, and a crumbled table, the Cook cowered, staring up at Zoro with wide-open eyes and mouth.
Yes, he could see how this facial expression had to look for outsiders, how it had to look for someone who only saw this picture. It looked as if the Cook was gawking at Lady Loreen's naked chest in fascination.
But Zoro knew the Cook. He knew how the Cook gawked at women, how he gawked at Zoro when he was in this body – even when he tried to suppress it – but that look was not gawking.
The Cook stared at him, surprise, confusion, indignation, perhaps also something like burgeoning realization and associated anger, in his gaze. Just like on Alabasta when Sanji had been upset about Zoro's wounds. Just like against the Foxy pirates, when they had involuntarily worked together as a team. Just like on Water Seven, when Zoro had to remind them all of what respect for the captain meant. Just like back then on the G-6, whenever Zoro had messed with the soldiers.
"Now say something?" came it hesitantly from Usopp. "You're starting to scare me."
And when Zoro looked up, he realized that most would more or less agree, especially the Cook, who stared at him as if it were a question of whether he would be kicked out of the crew.
Smiling, he lowered his gaze back to the newspaper.
"I like the picture," he finally explained. "It's a pity that they only show me from behind."
"Roronoa?" Mihawk answered in disbelief. "What are you talking about? This picture is..."
"Just as it was planned," he said firmly, but his eyes were on the Cook. "It was all intentional, Mihawk. The Cook was supposed tear the dress, so there's no reason to get upset. It was all our plan, for distraction, and it worked."
"But with this picture you will..."
"Do you have a problem with someone seeing my naked chest?" Usopp squeaked softly, but Zoro was not deterred. "Do you have a problem with someone seeing that naked chest?"
For a second it was dead silent, even Luffy had paused eating his meal and now looked up at Zoro with raised eyebrows, then the transponder snail sighed forced.
"Forgive me, Roronoa. I keep forgetting that you do not consider such vulgar acts shameful," he reacted with diplomatic calculation, as Zoro well noticed, and it was fine with him. "Nevertheless, the Chef has violated your honor with his deed and this..."
"I don't see it that way," Zoro interrupted him matter-of-factly. "Because you also forget who and what I am. The honor of a pirate demands to cause some chaos at such an event."
Then his eyes fell back on the Cook and finally he didn't look quite as miserable anymore. Zoro had a good day, so he decided to commit a good deed for once.
"Finally, the world has seen Lady Loreen's true self for a moment, thanks to the Cook."
"I see," the transponder snail replied dryly after two breaths. "Well, as hard as it is for me, it would be inappropriate to kill someone to whom you owe a debt of gratitude."
"It would be generally inappropriate to kill someone in my crew," Zoro grumbled coolly.
"Well then, please excuse the disturbance. Have a..."
"Mihawk!" growled Zoro. "When you get here in two weeks, get some sake, the good one, understood?"
"Roronoa, I only intended to... All right. It might take me a day or two longer, but I will be there."
Click
For a moment there was an awkward tension, interrupted alone by rattling dishes, as Luffy simply continued to eat unbothered, then Zoro sat down again, tore the newspaper from the table and continued his breakfast as well.
"Uff, well, don't get me wrong, Zoro, but that guy is a little bit... crazy," Franky murmured with a big grin.
"A little bit?" came it from Usopp. "This guy is totally... But honestly, why getting this extreme out of nowhere? If he's angry, okay? But killing someone right away?"
"He wasn't considered the cruelest of the Shichibukai for nothing," Robin remarked with a gentle smile before sipping her coffee. "For nothing is as cruel as a rational mind that regards the death of a human as lesser evil."
"You don't need to analyze him," Zoro grumbled. "He just likes to be dramatic."
The others continued to talk about what had just happened, but Zoro concentrated on his food, in a much better mood than in the early morning. In such a good mood, in fact, that he generously ignored the gaze of the Cook, who was still cowering in his kitchenette but was now complaining loudly about how harshly the newspaper had put him in a bad light and how mean they had all been that they had used the Cook as a lustful distraction.
Nami tried to calm things down a bit, but Franky and Brook weren't much help, so she even turned to Zoro with a gesture of looking for help, but he gave her the cold shoulder, he wasn't that generous.
In this good mood, he left the kitchen, actually too happy to lay down for the moment, so he decided to continue his training.
So the day passed and when he settled down in the late afternoon after a well-deserved nap with a well-deserved sake at the orange trees on the main terrace, he thought for a moment to take out the small, white transponder snail in his trouser pocket, but decided against it. Instead, he pulled out the newspaper and laid it on the floor next to him.
He knew that Mihawk would urge him to read the articles, but even though Zoro now understood the importance behind them, he had always found the pictures, drawings, and graphics much more interesting. So he sat there and looked at this picture, ignoring all these words that said so much that didn't interest him, while this photo said so much that mattered to him.
"Here you are. Geez, almost as if you were hiding."
Zoro was not surprised; he had heard the other with every step.
"What are you doing up here...? Oh, that's why."
"I don't know what you mean. I just wanted to drink some sake in peace. I don't have to hide to read the newspaper."
Zoro looked up briefly, met the gaze of the Cook, who was still pale – even by his standards – and was now leaning against the railing with his arms crossed.
"Your companion is a maniac," the Cook then whined with a slight pout. "Seriously. Do you know how shitty these articles are for me and then this ass has nothing to do but wanting to kill me?! How can you even stand someone like...?!"
"He didn't really intend to kill you," Zoro interrupted him brusquely, shrugging his shoulders.
"What?! Didn't you hear him?"
"Mihawk has my Vivre Card. When he wanted to, he could find us all over the world, and why should he warn us when he knows how I feel about this crap? If he had seriously planned to kill you, he would have come secretly and done it before any of us could stop him."
Slowly, the Cook lowered his arms.
"Now that you say that..." he murmured, almost thoughtfully. "But why did he call then?"
"Because he loves drama," Zoro sighed annoyed. "He was angry about the newspaper, the picture and had to take it out on someone and he has it in for you since the beginning."
The Cook looked at the newspaper next to Zoro and then slowly slouched down to the floor.
"You seem to see through him really well," he finally said.
"Tze," snorted Zoro. "He probably thought five corners further ahead, which I can't even imagine. Calmed down far too quickly and gave in. He would never do it if he thought he was right. Gosh, how it pisses me off that this bastard is always at least one step ahead of me." That last sentence wasn't totally true. Yes, it was annoying, but there was also something reassuring about it, just not on days like these, when it was just annoying.
Then it was quiet between them.
"Thanks anyway," the Cook finally murmured. "You defended me even though you knew he wasn't serious. Wouldn't have been necessary."
"I didn't defend you," Zoro simply contradicted. "I was just telling the truth. I was not happy with the plan, not with having to pretend and play the poor little victim, nor to impose the role of the offender on you. But – even if I really don't like to admit it – Nami was right that this plan was the most promising."
"Still this is really shitty," growled the Cook. "Sexual predator and that was still the friendliest term. Yes, I know that I don't always behave ideally, but whole newspaper articles that want to make me something I'm not, condemn me and brand me in public... No idea... It's nasty, mean. They literally tear me apart and probably just to attract readers."
Zoro nodded. He understood very well what the other was talking about.
"Don't be too mad at the others," he said gently, "I noticed no reporters as well, did you? I don't think anyone wanted this diversionary maneuver to end up in the newspapers." He could see the Cook staring at him with wide eyes. "I think they all had fun fooling us both with the plan, maybe you a little more than me, but it shouldn't have any aftereffects."
"Wow, since when are you so understanding?" came it from the other surprised.
Zoro just shrugged his shoulders.
"And you're incredibly understanding with me, too." Now he sounded suspicious. "Not only did you defend me in front of Hawk Eyes, but you also almost thanked me. Something is wrong."
"Oh, shut up," Zoro grumbled, but wasn't serious and the Cook understood that, because he returned Zoro's grin. "I just feel sorry for you," he admitted. "I know exactly how shitty it is when the newspaper portrays you as someone you're not, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"Oh," the other said, before snorting softly. "Well, it's something totally different, after all, the crap about you is at least consistently positive and loving, I'm torn apart."
"To be portrayed as a weak brat, who is dependent on the benevolence and mercy of others and is helpless without Hawk Eyes, you call positive? I wish someone would write such an article about Lady Loreen," he objected, knocking his knuckles on the newspaper. "I wish the world would perceive me in this body as a monster only once, as a criminal, as anything other than a defenseless saint with a pretty face. But shouldn't hold my breath, unless the world finally finds out the damn truth."
Then he sighed.
"Give the articles two to three weeks, after that people will have forgotten this crap unless you feed the media something new. Believe me, I'm speaking from my own painful experience," he added resignedly and took a good sip of his sake.
Again, they sat there quietly while Luffy and Brooks laughs hovered across the ship. Somewhere from the depths of the Sunny came a rhythmic hammering. It was rarely so peaceful on their ship.
The Cook sighed.
"Somehow I missed this."
Zoro met his gaze questioningly.
"Well, moments like now. Don't get me wrong, you are by far the most exhausting crewmember of all and you get on my nerves most of the time. But...", he then continued calmly, "... Such conversations like right now have always shown me that we can work together, no matter how much we otherwise snap at each other. Therefore..."
He just shrugged his shoulders and continued speaking only after a moment: "Since that matter with Lady Loreen... I still don't really understand what you're accusing me of, but it... I don't understand how to behave differently."
Yes, they all seemed to really care, unnecessarily brooding way too much.
Sighing, Zoro looked at his cup. The Cook was not wrong. Even though it had never been so important to him whether he was actually liked by all crewmembers, he had sometimes consciously sought these evenings, these nights or early morning hours, or at least not consciously avoided them. He liked to argue with the Cook, to get on his nerves and to be able to just call him out thoughtlessly without the other taking it personally. But even he had never doubted that this way between them would ever change until it had changed. Until he had seen that look and then so much had changed.
"I like this picture," he then repeated his words from breakfast.
"Because I'm sitting on the floor, like a complete idiot?" the Cook grumbled immediately.
"That too," Zoro agreed, "and because you behaved the way I know you at that moment. That's the difference, Cook. No gawking, no squishy hearts, just the annoying Cook."
"Hmm?" the Cook first asked and then leaned over the picture more. "What do you mean?"
Zoro just shrugged his shoulders; he couldn't really put it into words any better.
"Oh," came it thoughtfully from the other, without Zoro saying anything at all, "I understand..., I think."
"Well, anyway. I'm going to train a bit. Don't send anyone up, I'll probably miss dinner."
"All right. But I'll make you a bento, remember our deal."
"Yes, I'll get it later," he grumbled and turned to leave with his hand raised.
"Hey Zoro," Sanji called after him. "Just a thought, but how is the world ever going to find out the truth if you make sure no one ever sees you as Loreen?"
He froze briefly, then snorted and walked on.
"Let that be my concern," he grumbled and flipped his middle finger to the other, glad he couldn't see his grin. He just couldn't stand it when the Cook was right.